The
standard shrug may be one of the most misunderstood movements
in the bodybuilding arsenal. David Henry, an IFBB pro
who has one of the most complete and aesthetically balanced
physiques on the circuit, points out that it's a trapezius
exercise, yes--but simply shrugging up and down with plenty
of weight in hand is not the beginning and end of the
equation if you want a thick, kite-shaped blanket of muscle
from your neck to your lower spine.
The key to comprehending ultimate trap development may
rest on understanding the function of the trapezius muscles,
so important for strength in exercises for back and shoulders,
and vital for a back that looks full, massive and complete.
When trained correctly, the trapezius tops a dramatic
most-muscular and forms a nook for an imaginary angel
at the apex of the "Christmas tree."
With
the individual muscle fibers of the traps angled in multiple
directions, each section plays a particular role in scapula
(shoulder blade) movement, Henry says. The upper fibers
lift the scapulas. These fibers are the prime focus of
shrugs and they also play a part in upright rows and lateral
raises (especially if you go above parallel). The middle
section draws the scapulas inward toward the middle. Rows
and deadlifts are important exercises for the middle fibers.
The inferior (lower) portion pulls the scapulas down.
Cleans and front delt raises (especially if you lift your
arms overhead) can make a difference in this region. Trapezius
muscles also aid in neck movement, as well as help in
maintaining proper respiration.
So, you need shrugs, but you also need more for total
traps--it's good, then, that the middle and lower sections
grow extremely well with exercises you are probably doing
for other bodyparts anyway (i.e., the aforementioned rows,
deadlifts and raises). Henry, following upon that logic,
hits traps as part of his delt and back work.
"I'll do behind-the-back shrugs occasionally, but
they're not a regular staple," Henry says. "I
like the squeeze that they give you, kind of like a Vulcan
neck pinch. I do the shrugs at the end of my delt routine,
so I don't have to use so much weight. If you don't have
to use so much weight and tear yourself up, then don't.
I'm a big stickler for that. I can pre-exhaust first by
doing the delt workout."
Even though he doesn't shrug as frequently as he did when
he began constructing his physique, Henry still has some
valid points to make about trap expansion. Heed his advice
if you desire more back mass and detail.
* REP LIMITS "I'll do three sets of shrugs until
failure. I don't suggest using predetermined rep schemes,
because your body may not be as ready to fail as you are
mentally when you get to a rep limit. If you put a limit
of 12-15 reps, once you hit 12, you might end up stopping,
when you could have gotten 17 or 18. I won't pyramid these,
but I use a static weight and keep it for all three sets,
whatever it is. If I can knock out a high number of reps
for the first set, great. I'll try to get there again
on the second and third sets."
* THE PINCH "A lot of blood flow and a real deep
pinch are what you're looking for. You'll feel like somebody
is gripping on the back of your traps and pinching them
together. Traps are such dense muscles, because you're
constantly turning your head and lifting your arms. You
get indirect and direct trap and shoulder work all day.
* WEIGHT "Use a moderate weight and go for the feel
of the movement. That's a lot more important than simply
using heavy weight. Your body doesn't know--only you know
what weight you're using. You can make 135 pounds seem
like 225 pounds if you're feeling the movement like you're
supposed to in the area that you're supposed to."
The standard form for traps starts with feet about shoulder
width apart. Take either an overhand or mixed (one hand
over, one hand under) grip; if you choose the latter,
reverse which hand is forward and which hand is back from
set to set for more equal stimulus of the traps. Keep
your head up, spine neutral, and pull your shoulder blades
up high; a common tip is to imagine raising your shoulders
to your ears. Squeeze at the top to sustain the peak contraction,
lower the weight fully and repeat.
The range of motion is very short; Henry estimates between
four and five inches. He also emphasizes that your arms
should not come into play when you are doing shrugs. "Basically,
you're going to utilize your hands as hooks," he
explains. "It takes the mind-muscle connection to
get a good focus on the traps without using the arms.
They should be essentially hanging straight down in front,
on the side or in back of you, whichever movement you
decide to do."
Even though the standard shrug is a simple movement, experimentation
can help freshen the activity. Refer to the article "H.U.G.E.[TM]:
Spring the Traps" in the June 2006 FLEX for 10 shrug
variations, or check it out on the Web at flexonline.com.
To develop your trapezius muscles fully, you need to take
into account that the middle and lower traps play a synergistic
part in most shoulder and back exercises. Hold the contraction
during rows for extra trap stimulus when working back.